Has anyone else felt under the weather recently? Last week, I unfortunately managed to contract both an upper respiratory bug and pink eye. Needless to say, it wasn’t very fun and I wanted to make something that was both comforting and nourishing. I knew I had everything at home except for lentils and chicken broth to make soup. When I mentioned to Husband that I kind of wanted to go to the grocery store for those items, he very kindly volunteered to drive me to the commissary so I could feel better. And maybe partly because it would stop me from whining in between coughing fits. Either way, he won’t admit to the later and I still think it was a very nice gesture.

This is a recipe that contains a variety of vegetables that is sure to deliver a lot of vitamins and nutrients. The chicken broth also gives the soup an enhanced flavor, but if you would prefer a vegan soup than the alternative is very simple: omit the chicken broth and instead use all water.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup chopped scallions

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup lentils

1/2 cup sliced zuchinni

1/2 cup sliced yellow squash

1/3 cup sliced peppers

1 cup broccoli

1/3 cup peas

1 quart chicken broth

1 quart water

10-12 oz diced chicken

1 T olive oil

2 T Earth Balance

3 cloves Garlic

1/2 tsp. Black pepper

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Sage

1/4 tsp. Thyme

**All of my vegetables were frozen. I tend to buy vegetables in bulk, chop them up, and freeze in smaller portions. I did not thaw the veggies beforehand, just added them in. If you are using fresh veggies then this recipe may take a shorter time to prepare. Always taste test periodically!**

Method:

– Saute scallions, celery, carrots together first in 1 T olive oil in a large skillet.

– While that is cooking, add diced chicken to another skillet with the last 1 T of olive oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and cook on medium-low heat with the cover on.

– When the scallions are translucent, pour enough chicken broth in the skillet to cover the bottom.